Performer
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio rank
#546
of 909177 performers
Top 1%
Danny Huston represents the rare performer whose career became more ambitious with every decade — 32 years in, and Danny is still choosing the harder script.
The essay
Our editors on the work, the patterns and the reason this body of work holds together.
Danny Huston appears in 47 films in the Nutevio catalogue, and none of them would work the same way without Danny. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is the clearest case: a film rated 7.6 by our editors, where the performance carries weight the script only implies.
The recognisable elements are versatility, transformation, quiet performance. Watch two of these films back to back and the method separates from the material — the same instrument, tuned differently for drama, thriller, mystery. It is a style built on what is withheld as much as what is played.
Working with Chloe Domont, Edward Berger, Andy Garcia and others, Danny Huston helped set a standard other performers now audition against. Awards bodies have been slower than the work, which is usually the sign of a career built on choices rather than campaigns.
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013) as General Lane (voice) · Children of Men (2006) as Nigel · 21 Grams (2003) as Michael Peck
Career snapshot
Ranked #546 of 909177 performers tracked in the Nutevio library.
Films in Nutevio
47
1995–2027
Career length
32 yrs
Measured across our catalogue
Academy Awards
—
Unknown
Oscar nominations
—
Unknown
Highest Nutevio score
7.6
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Average Nutevio score
6.2
Across catalogue work
Highest IMDb rating
7.9
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Most frequent director
Kevin Costner
2 films together
Longest collaboration
2×
With Kevin Costner
Most common genre
Drama
31 titles
Average runtime
1h 49m
Across catalogue work
Golden Globe wins
—
Unknown
Nutevio metric
Ten weighted categories, applied identically to everyone we cover.
Nutevio Performer Score
7.0
out of 10
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio metric
Cultural impact and legacy, measured separately from craft — how far the work travelled once it left the cinema.
Nutevio Influence Score
6.5
out of 10
A quieter influence — felt inside the films rather than across the industry.
How far the work travelled past the people who saw it first.
What survives once the release-week conversation has burned off.
Institutional acknowledgement, weighted but never decisive.
Years of chosen, relevant work rather than years merely employed.
Statuettes, read as evidence rather than verdict.
Roles named without needing the film named alongside them.
Directors who wrote parts because this performer existed.
The reading other performers now have to answer.
Actor DNA
A fingerprint derived from the roles themselves — register, range and the kind of film they carry.
The shape of a career
Every performance plotted in time. Hover a point to read the title behind it.
Peak years
Where the scores, the awards and the sheer volume of work agree with each other.
Best decade
2000s
6.7 average MV
The 2000s are where the work and the material meet. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, The Kingdom — the run our editors reach for first when the argument is about range rather than fame.
Highest average Nutevio score
2000s
6.7
Across 11 catalogue films in this decade, our scores never drop below the level a career is judged on.
Highest average IMDb rating
2000s
6.7
The public agrees most strongly about this stretch — useful context, and occasionally a decade behind our own reading.
Most awarded era
1990s
0 Academy Awards
Statuettes for the films themselves, which is the honest way to read an ensemble career. Anna Karenina, Leaving Las Vegas.
Most productive era
2010s
20 films
The busiest stretch of the catalogue — volume that reads as appetite rather than availability.
Range, mapped
Genres down the side, decades across the top. Warmer cells mean stronger titles.
| Genre | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drama | 6.72 films | 6.78 films | 6.513 films | 5.08 films |
| Action | — | 6.93 films | 6.57 films | 6.23 films |
| Thriller | — | 6.96 films | 6.13 films | 3.04 films |
| Comedy | — | 6.01 film | 6.84 films | 6.41 film |
| Crime | — | 6.82 films | 6.63 films | 6.44 films |
| Romance | 6.72 films | 6.01 film | 6.11 film | — |
| Horror | — | 6.41 film | — | 5.72 films |
Chronology
Firsts and peaks
The turning points, in the order they happened.
First film in Nutevio
Where our catalogue meets this career, as Barman 2.
Career peak
200321 Grams
Weighing billing against the film's own quality, this is the point where everything aligned at once.
Highest rated performance
2006Children of Men
7.6 on the Nutevio scale, the top of the catalogue for this performer.
Most recent film
2027The Riders
The current state of the argument.
Our order
Every performance in the catalogue, ordered by Nutevio Score.
Every title
Filter by genre or decade, and compare any two titles side by side.
47 of 47 films
as General Lane (voice)
Directed by Jay Oliva
as Geoffrey Fieger
Directed by Barry Levinson
as Nigel
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
as Sandy Woodrow
Directed by Fernando Meirelles
From the library
Every movie and TV credit stored for this name in the Nutevio catalogue — filter by media, role or sort by rating.
Loading credits…
The defining work
#1
Dick Nolan
Big Eyes (2014)
Performance score7.4
The performance the rest of the career is read through. Dick Nolan gives Danny Huston a structure to work against, and the film hands over its centre of gravity without hesitation.
View movie#2
General Lane (voice)
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
Performance score7.4
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. General Lane (voice) is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#3
Geoffrey Fieger
You Don't Know Jack (2010)
Performance score7.4
You Don't Know Jack asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Geoffrey Fieger is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#4
Nigel
Children of Men (2006)
Performance score7.4
Children of Men asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Nigel is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movieStart here
A guided path through the work, ordered so each film explains the next.
Best entry point
as Dick Nolan
Start here. Big Eyes is the clearest statement of what Danny Huston does — accessible, 106 minutes, and rated 7.0 by our editors. No context required.
Our editors order this path by accessibility first and chronology second. You meet Danny at the most legible performance, then move forward in time so each film reads as a response to the one before it rather than a repetition of it.
The Constant Gardener (2005)
Keeps the drama register of Big Eyes but asks for a colder reading of it.
Children of Men (2006)
Keeps the thriller register of The Constant Gardener but asks for a colder reading of it.
You Don't Know Jack (2010)
A deliberate change of key after Children of Men — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
A deliberate change of key after You Don't Know Jack — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Company kept
The directors and performers this career keeps returning to.
Bernard Rose
Director
2 films together
Notably Anna Karenina
Kevin Costner
Director
2 films together
Notably Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2
Mike Figgis
Director
1 film together
Notably Leaving Las Vegas
Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Director
1 film together
Notably 21 Grams
Martin Scorsese
Director
1 film together
Notably The Aviator
Fernando Meirelles
Director
1 film together
Notably The Constant Gardener
Alfonso Cuarón
Director
1 film together
Notably Children of Men
Sofia Coppola
Director
1 film together
Notably Marie Antoinette
David Slade
Director
1 film together
Notably 30 Days of Night
Joel Schumacher
Director
1 film together
Notably The Number 23
Peter Berg
Director
1 film together
Notably The Kingdom
Robert B. Weide
Director
1 film together
Notably How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
Gavin Hood
Director
1 film together
Notably X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Nigel Cole
Director
1 film together
Notably Made in Dagenham
Barry Levinson
Director
1 film together
Notably You Don't Know Jack
Ridley Scott
Director
1 film together
Notably Robin Hood
Martin Campbell
Director
1 film together
Notably Edge of Darkness
Louis Leterrier
Director
1 film together
Notably Clash of the Titans
Robert Redford
Director
1 film together
Notably The Conspirator
Sacha Gervasi
Director
1 film together
Notably Hitchcock
Jonathan Liebesman
Director
1 film together
Notably Wrath of the Titans
Ari Folman
Director
1 film together
Notably The Congress
Jay Oliva
Director
1 film together
Notably Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Tim Burton
Director
1 film together
Notably Big Eyes
Marc Forster
Director
1 film together
Notably All I See Is You
Patty Jenkins
Director
1 film together
Notably Wonder Woman
John Francis Daley
Director
1 film together
Notably Game Night
Jon S. Baird
Director
1 film together
Notably Stan & Ollie
Ric Roman Waugh
Director
1 film together
Notably Angel Has Fallen
Christian Duguay
Director
1 film together
Notably Ride Above
Neil Jordan
Director
1 film together
Notably Marlowe
Christopher Smith
Director
1 film together
Notably Consecration
Viggo Mortensen
Director
1 film together
Notably The Dead Don't Hurt
Rupert Sanders
Director
1 film together
Notably The Crow
Akiva Schaffer
Director
1 film together
Notably The Naked Gun
Andy Garcia
Director
1 film together
Notably Diamond
Edward Berger
Director
1 film together
Notably The Riders
Chloe Domont
Director
1 film together
Notably A Place in Hell
Behind the camera
Who casts this performer, how often, and what the pairing produces.
Kevin Costner
Director
2 films together · 6.9 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2Bernard Rose
Director
2 films together · 6.0 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Anna KareninaJay Oliva
Director
1 film together · 7.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Justice League: The Flashpoint ParadoxAlfonso Cuarón
Director
1 film together · 7.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Children of MenAlejandro G. Iñárritu
Director
1 film together · 7.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
21 GramsMike Figgis
Director
1 film together · 7.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Leaving Las VegasPatty Jenkins
Director
1 film together · 7.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Wonder WomanMartin Scorsese
Director
1 film together · 7.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The AviatorAndy Garcia
Director
1 film together · 7.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
DiamondTim Burton
Director
1 film together · 7.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Big EyesBarry Levinson
Director
1 film together · 7.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
You Don't Know JackFernando Meirelles
Director
1 film together · 7.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Constant GardenerJon S. Baird
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Stan & OllieChristian Duguay
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Ride AboveJohn Francis Daley
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Game NightPeter Berg
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The KingdomNigel Cole
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Made in DagenhamSofia Coppola
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Marie AntoinetteRic Roman Waugh
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Angel Has FallenSacha Gervasi
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
HitchcockRobert Redford
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The ConspiratorViggo Mortensen
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Dead Don't HurtAkiva Schaffer
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Naked GunAri Folman
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The CongressMartin Campbell
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Edge of DarknessRidley Scott
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Robin HoodGavin Hood
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
X-Men Origins: WolverineJoel Schumacher
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Number 23David Slade
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
30 Days of NightRobert B. Weide
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
How to Lose Friends & Alienate PeopleLouis Leterrier
Director
1 film together · 5.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Clash of the TitansRupert Sanders
Director
1 film together · 5.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The CrowJonathan Liebesman
Director
1 film together · 5.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Wrath of the TitansNeil Jordan
Director
1 film together · 5.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
MarloweChristopher Smith
Director
1 film together · 5.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
ConsecrationMarc Forster
Director
1 film together · 5.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
All I See Is YouChloe Domont
Director
1 film together · 0.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
A Place in HellEdward Berger
Director
1 film together · 0.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The RidersSix degrees
Follow the thread outward — director, film, co-star, and the film after that.
Categories of our own
Six editorial categories we apply to every performer we cover.
Most rewatchable
Children of Men
as Nigel
The one that survives a fourth viewing. Nothing in the performance depends on surprise, which is why it keeps paying out.
Most emotional performance
Leaving Las Vegas
as Barman 2
Grief played at conversational volume. The film never asks the audience to cry; the performance simply makes it difficult not to.
Most influential performance
Children of Men
as Nigel
You can hear this reading in other actors' auditions a decade later — the surest measure of influence there is.
Best ensemble performance
Made in Dagenham
as American Boss (voice)
Work that makes everyone else in the frame better without ever pulling the camera towards itself.
Career defining performance
Big Eyes
as Dick Nolan
If the career had to be argued in a single scene, our editors would pick one from this film and rest the case.
In their films' words
“You can build a whole film around a performer who knows when not to speak. Danny Huston has known it for a long time.”
Head to head
Put two careers on the same scale and see where the argument actually sits.
Ours alone
Recognitions handed out by this desk, on criteria no awards body uses.
Career Achievement
Awarded
32 years of relevant work — not merely a long career, but a long career of choices.
Modern Classic Performer
Awarded
Defining performances delivered inside the last twenty-five years, in films already being taught rather than merely remembered.
Drama Legend
Awarded
31 catalogue titles in drama, each one a reference point for the films that followed.
Our desk
Best ending, best opening, best twist and the rest — categories we apply to everyone we cover.
Best ending
The Constant Gardener
as Sandy Woodrow
The last five minutes reorganise everything before them, and hold up when you already know what's coming.
Best opening
Children of Men
as Nigel
A first sequence that states the rules of the film without explaining a single one of them.
Most emotional
Newness
as Larry Bejerano
The film where the technique steps aside and lets the feeling arrive undefended.
Best twist
Game Night
as Donald Anderton
A reversal earned by information the film gave you and trusted you to misread.
Best visual achievement
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
as General Lane (voice)
Images that would survive with the sound switched off.
Best action sequence
Robin Hood
as King Richard the Lionheart
Geography, stakes and consequence held in the same frame — spectacle you can follow.
Best dialogue
Made in Dagenham
as American Boss (voice)
Lines written to be spoken, staged so the pauses do half the work.
Most underrated film
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
as Stryker
The public vote sits below ours on this one, and the direction is the reason for the gap.
If you like this performer
Matt Damon
Works with the same directors — Martin Scorsese
Michael Caine
Built a career in the same territory: adventure and drama
Harry Dean Stanton
Works with the same directors — Ridley Scott
Leonardo DiCaprio
Works with the same directors — Martin Scorsese
Robert De Niro
Works with the same directors — Martin Scorsese
David Krumholtz
Built a career in the same territory: action and adventure
Have your say
Community
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Our readers argue about this one. Make your case, or read the ranked debate already in progress.
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Reference
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